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A fun and addictive game for all

Fuzion Frenzy 2

** Fuzion Frenzy Background **Fuzion Frenzy was originally released on the Microsoft Xbox, the basics of the game were to compete in a series of mini games which were divided over 6 different areas against 3 other players either computer or other humans, the game was popular and highly addictive possibly due to the competative nature of the game and the variation between the mini games. However the enevitable follow up game wasnt released for the original xbox, instead it has been released on the Xbox 360 and following my recent purchase of an Xbox 360 this is the game I'm here to review today :)

** Fuzion Frenzy 2 - The Game **After playing the original Fuzion Frenzy on the Xbox I decided that Fuzion Frenzy 2 would be a good purchase for the xbox 360. Upon reading the reverse of the case I realised that the game was going to be pretty similar to the first one so it wouldnt be too much trouble to pick up.

Once the game was home with me it was obvious that everything else was about to go out the window as I had some serious gaming to catch up on! I placed the disc in the Xbox 360 and waited for it to come on, at the start I was greeted by an options screen giving the options of single or multiplayer, tournament, mini games, options and credits. I decided to go into mini games to have a bit of a practice before playing in any tournaments, however I was disapointed to see that there was only one mini game avaliable and the rest had to be unlocked. so it was back to the main menu and Tournament selection, this gave me the chance to pick my character out of a choice of a possible 6, at this point I was quick to notice the manufacturers have kept the original characters of Dub, Samson, Geena, Jet, Naomi and Zak, I decided to go for my old favorite Geena in the Blue. The game then randomly selects who you will be playing against and the next bit is to choose how many worlds you need to win to win the game, I chose 2 just to make it a quick game, but you can have upto 5. From this point a comentator who to me looks kind of like a futureristic clown takes over and becomes your "host" for the game, he guides you through the stages and mini games and provides extremely annoying comentary all though the tournament. At the start of a Tournament you choose a planet to start playing your mini games on, there is seven planets in the game, Earth, Blazer, Moisture, Amuseth, Eternite, Machina and Icicle, each planet has its own selection of games which refect the name of the planet, so Icicle has mini games based around ice and the cold and Moisture has games based in water and so on. After choosing your frst planet you will go back to the host who will talk (quite a lot!) before a mini game is chosen and play begins. Before starting a game you will get the option to use one of your Frenzy Cards, these are cards that are either won or randomly given out by the host, these cards include points steal, points multipiler and cards that allow you to choose a planet that has already been won. Once all this has been chosen then its finally onto the actual mini games!

On each planet you will play 4 minigames, at the end of each game you will be awarded points depending on your ranking, in order to win the planet you must score the most points, this can be tricky so I recomend using the multiplier cards on the games you know you are good at so earn the most points. once you have played all the minigames for your chosen planet and a winner has been established then you will move to the next planet, this may be chosen by you but may also be chosen by the host or another player in the game, the game then continues as before with minigames and planet domination. The game will end once a player has dominated the amount of planets you chose at the setup of the tournament. Once a tournament is complete you will find many more mini games have been unlocked in the mini game section for you to have a practice on! So I've explained the way the gameplay works and that you play minigames, but what are these minigames? well here goes, the minigames are battles between you and 3 other players in which you have to use your skill and speed and occasionally the odd kick or punch to score the most points and win. The games vary from your player running around collecting items while fighting off other competitors or simply pressing a combination of buttons faster than the other players to using little machines to flood the other players boats while you try and stay afloat. There are also games where you are running round throwing little bombs at each other while the floor falls beneath you, I found this a little tricky as I threw a bomb and went through a hole in the floor trying not to get hit myself! As in real life the differing surfaces will affect the way you move, for example on the ice you will slide around more than on solid dry ground and while on the water games you will find yourself drifting off course with the current of the water. All this adds to the fun, addiction and competativeness that this game has to offer.

** Any Other Info ** The game has a multiplayer option to play against your friends and family, I personally havent played this as I still only have one controller! But from the fun of one player I would imagine multiplayer to be fantastic!

There is an option to create your own Custom tournament where you can choose exactly which planets and minigames you play, however in this mode you dont get the host and you dont benifit from the use of Frenzy Cards, but it is still fun if you fancy playing certain mini games and is also easy to set up. There is also an online gaming option which again I havent been able to do as I dont have the wireless adapter needed to connect the xbox 360 to the internet.

As with most Xbox 360 games there is the chance to earn (G) by unlocking achievements, I would say these are reasonably easy to achieve as they are mainly gained by unlocking certain mini games and winning tournaments as different charaters. There are a couple which you will only be able to unlock if you play online gaming. The game comes in a regular Xbox 360 case which contains the game disc and instruction booklet printed in English. The age guide on the box is 7+ which I would agree with as I have a 6 year old brother and although he can play quite a few of the mini games there are ones which he struggles with too.

** My Experience and Opinion ** I bought this game pre-owned as part of a 4 games for £20 deal at Blockbuster, however I have seen it new for £14.99 in the highstreet games shops. I have found myself playing the game on a regular basis, I would put this down to the fun nature of the game and the want to win feeling it gives you. The controls are pretty simple throughout the game and at the begining of each minigame there is a little explanation of what button does what so you will always know what you are doing! I do find the setup time slightly too long and also the host or DJ as he is known in the game is extremely annoying, but can be skipped over quite easily... and usually is as he doesnt have too much to say that is important to the game! I would recomend this game as it is just a generally lighthearted yet competative and fun game to play and it will keep its playability for a good while!

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Highly recommended.

I was a big fan of the original release of this game on the old Xbox. So when I saw this on Play.com I snapped it up. I didn't even realise that it had been released. But it must have been out for a while now as I only paid £4.80 for it. At that price it was a bargain. I'm not sure that I would have paid full price for it though.

Up to 4 people can play at once. If there are any spare slots then the slot is filled with a computer player which is not nearly as fun.

The game has a game show theme with a commentator making funny comments on the action as you play through your mini-games. With the contestants battling it out to win the tournament. You can create your own tournaments that allow you to choose anywhere between 1 and 45 mini-games. With a choice of 6 characters which are the same as in the original game. Mini-games are set over 7 different planets, with each planet having it's own theme. The planets are Lava, Machine, Ice, Water, Casino, Black Hole and Earth.

My favourite mini-game is the one where you all roll around in big metal balls (like the ones used in the Gladiators TV show) trying to knock each other off a shrinking platform. This was in the original game. Glad they kept it in.

This game is very easy to just pick up and play and the controls are very easy to get the hang of. This helps to make the game a lot of fun when your friends come around for a booze up. Even people who don't often play computer games can join in.

So, overall I would highly recommended this game. It's not graphically amazing and doesn't push any boundaries. But it is great fun when playing multi-player. Which is really what this game is about. You can also take this game online which mirrors the offline play. And keep track of the leader boards on Xbox Live.

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Can be picked up very cheap now, and good for a quick multiplayer bash on the 360.

Fuzion Frenzy is a simple mini-game collection.

The basic premise of the game consists of up to 4 people (offline and online) selecting a character, on differing in 'personality' and colour. Followed by a tournament style game where the game takes you to different fictional planets with themed games (fire planet, ice planet, robot planet)

On each planet a number of games are player, ranging from fighting, button bashing, pinball style games, melting ice, collecting coins, there are loads of different games all interesting. Players are rewarded points after each game depending on what position they finish and at the end of the games, all points are added up, including a final beat-em-up round.

To add a little depth to the game, there are cards you can collect and have the option to use a card before each round with varying affects, including 2x, 4x, 6x multiplyers to your final score, steal points, half opponents score, to main a few. Also after each game, the winner receives a 'bonus' for the final round, such as extra damage or health, to add a little strategy to the simple gameplay. Lastly there are AI bots available if there are not 4 players playing, but not mandatory.

I've scored this game 3/5 because although it is very enjoyable and I would recomend it to anyone who enjoys multiplayer, it is just a simple mini-game collection at heart.

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ok for a quick game

If you are looking for a game to run right through then Fuzion Frenzy 2 is the game to play.It's something you might just want to try out with a few mates every now and then when you get really bored or for the rather fast and easy achievements.The only hard achievements would be the online ones. However, finding a mate can easily get these done and dusted for you. Fuzion Frenzy 2 lasts for a couple of hours but it's not something that I would want to play on very often.Graphically it proves to be ok for a party game. The environments around you look nice and lively.Characters are sharp but could do with a bit of improvement.The host of the game who you will bump into all the time looks like he could of done with a major improvement though.His commentary never seems to match up with his mouth That's something I noticed when I first played through.As for audio,you are going to have to put up with the annoying voice of his.Characters will often use the same lines at the end of mini-games and well,really there isn't too much what these characters say.my opinion is rent it

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A good way to have fun and have a laugh!

FUZION FRENZY!! 2. In my oppinion, if you have the first, dont bother with the second.

Fuzion Frenzy 2 is a multi-player party game, in my oppinion great fun, but beware if your playing with highly competitive people! You can have up to 4 people playing at once, if there are less than 4, computer takes how many empty places there are left.

In the game you can choose to be one of the original characters from the first game, these are, Dub, Geena, Jet, Naomi, Samson, and Zak this time a little bit more older. You can go on to quick play, and just play the mini games that you have unlocked in the game. There are many mini games involving all kinds of things to do to win. There are around 40 mini games. To unlock the mini games you can do this by going doing tournaments.

A tournament is when you and a group of friends (or the computer) compete in a competition to become number one. You can have up to 4 rounds, each consisting of 4 mini games. You have to pick the rounds by choosing a planet, where a number of mini game are held. The mini games on the planet depend on the environment of the planet also. For example, the water planet consists of water based mini games.

The first person to choose a planet is picked at random. You play 3 mini games and at the end of each you have an extra one, where you have to collect points and can help you with your points at the end, depending on which planet your on the games are different but has to be done, there is no option. The next planet is then chosen by the winner of the last planet. There are 7 planets in total, each containing different mini games and environments.

Also when going through the mini games the winner of each one recieves a bonus to help them with the final stage, this is to help them with there defence, stregnth and life.

the two different things that are different to number 1 and 2 is the tournaments. In 2 they the tournament is hosted, which after the first time of watching is quite dull and boring, and then you have to press the button about 4 times to get back to choose another mini game!

The secodn is that in the tounament you can recieve cards which you can use to your advantage. These cards can be either:

Multiplier - Multiplies the points awarded to a single player by 2x, 4x, or 6x. Inverse - Inverts the effect of a multiplier card played by another player, e.g. 6x becomes 1/6th. Pick next mini-game - Allows the player to pick the next mini-game. Pick next planet - Allows the player to pick the next planetary destination. Steal - Steals the effect of a multiplier card played by another player.I think this can be quite a good idea, though what you recieve is down to luck.

Generally it is an entertaining game! However not as good as the first, they could have done with adding more different mini games, and not putting in the tv hosting to try and make it look like a game show, pretty pointless. Though i would recommend this to most people who like a laugh, its kept my family laughing for ages!

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good game

this game is highly addictive and very very easy to play. there is no thought what so ever for this game. it is really good if you have had a hard day in the office or wherever and need to chill out. i can play on this game for hours and not realise it!the graphics are really good and it is a very hig speed game once you get into it moving up the levels all the timeit is good value for money as it can create hours of fun, my husband and i have contests how long we can last without either losing concentration or losing the game!!it is only 1 player which can be a problem to some people but it isnt to us.there are league tables on live where you can see how high you rank in the 'live' community which is really good. you can also see your friends scores on the game

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Not really worth the buy, there are better party games out there.

Fusion Frenzy 2 is one of only a select few "Party Games" that are out on the Xbox 360 today. The original Fusion Frenzy was release as a lauch title for the Xbox, and gained a fanbase for it's quirky style of gaming. It boasts a selection of mini-games that are hosted over 7 different planets, the content of each mini-game dependent upon which plantet you are situated, although the majority of the mini-games fail to be entertaining. There are six characters to choose from, giving you very limited customisation options, all of the characters are the typical game stereotypes featured in low budget games. And don't even get me started on the annoying voice over man that feels the need to yell clichés at you.

The controls are often fiddley and take some time to master, which considering the fast pace of some of the mini-games makes it an annoying experience for newcomers to the game, or for younger players.The physics and AI is lacking from many other titles that are currently in distribution, and can be wildly inconsistent. As for the graphics, they aren't anything special, they scrape in as next-gen but are nowhere near as high-quality as many notable titles that were released at the same time.

The Achievements (for you who are interested) are remarkably easy, which highlights the fact that this game is market primarily at "Gamerscore-Whores" who will pay the £20 just to cash in on another 1000 gamerpoints.If you're looking for a party game, I wouldn't recommend that you purchase this one, and instead invest your money in a copy of Scene it! which is a considerably better game all round. No doubt the fanbase of the original Fusion Frenzy will feel thoroughly let down.

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Good game.

Fusion Frenzy is a mini game collection for the Microsoft Xbox 360 games console.

In this game you select a character and then you will be able to play either single minigames or compete in a mini game tournament. It doesn't matter who you pick has all characters having a special abilities and will play exactly the same.

The selection of games is good, you can play a wide variety of button bashing games from fighting, collecting items, dodging obstacles and more. Each of the games is very intuitive and can be picked up within seconds.

This is best to play this game with a bunch of people as then each player will be controlled by a friend which makes it a far more enjoyable experience as you can laugh and brag.

This is a good game to play in between all of the first person shooters that the Xbox is blessed with.

You can get this a collection of games for about 20 to 30 pounds I highly recommend it.

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A good evening in

As the Xbox 360 is very much a "serious" console, I was surprised by how light-hearted and playful this title- which is really a glorified collection of mini-games- happened to be. The games themselves range from mini shooting type games, to rocket racing, to reflex-testing... a wide range to appeal to all sorts of gamers, so a great mix for multi-player.

The downside is that the main character- the narrator, or spokesperson who referees these competitive mini-game matches set in space, is VERY annoying, and you'll be rushing to skip his long-winded speeches with your start button! The music, and his commentry, also wear thin immensely quickly.Also I imagine it wouldn't be nearly as fun if you didn't have a bunch of friends to play it with- it's a social game, like mario party or something like that. The matches can be very long, though (once a five-planet game took me and three friends nigh-on three hours to decide a winner!), so be warned

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An example of why the Wii dominates the Party Games market

For those that are not hugely into computer games here is a fact that many hardcore gamers believe  Nintendo is killing gaming. Once upon a time Nintendo were the embodiment of what was great about gaming. Mario, Zelda, Wave Race, and Pokemon  the list of classics is endless. However, with the dawn of the next generation of hardware Ninty decided that rather than compete against the power houses of Sony and Microsoft with their graphics and chip sets, they would instead innovate. Therefore, the Wii was born and it is a HUGE success. However, are there actually any games that hardcore gamers would want to play? One or two perhaps, but the facts are that Ninty are instead concentrating on a new audience of people who do not play games e.g. Wii Sports, Cooking Mama etc. These simple party games draw families together in fun competition  can the 360 ever hope to capture this audience?

Gameplay

Fusion Frenzy 2 is one of the only party games currently available on the 360. A party game consists of lots of mini levels were players can compete against one another in friendly competition. The setting for this game is on a spaceship and you are in an intergalactic gameshow. There are several planetoids to choose from each containing a series of theme based mini games e.g. water, fire, ice. After playing three games on a planet there is a final game where total positions are added up. The player with the most points gains the planet and moves closer to the overall win. You can make the settings as you wish but the default is the first to two planets.

The mini games themselves are a varied bunch, but mostly fit into the categories of fighting, platforming or racing. As all four players are on the screen at once it can get quite hectic as you may be asked to jump over a rotating laser, or press buttons in the correct order. With over 30+ games to play they are different enough to make you want to play them all. However, the games themselves are incredible basic and they fail to hide their simplicity in a next gen package. I would imagine that if you can get 4 friends involved the banter between you would make for a good enough atmosphere, but on your own it is a very dry game. (3 out of 5)

Characters/Story

Agggghhhhh. This game is a prime example of lazy computer game creation. There are six characters to choose from each representing a different colour. They are given personalities, but to be honest they are pretty redundant. The story of the space competition is an incredibly loose one and merely a thread to hang mini games off. Finally, the character of the quiz master is incredibly awful with a cheesy voice and a PS1 feel. (1 out of 5)

Longevity

Fusion Frenzys lifespan will depend on how often you have friends around who want to play party games. As a single player experience it all feels a little soulless and once you have competed as every character and played the games (maybe 4 hours), there is little reason to go back again. The online aspect is meant to make the game last longer but unfortunately no one is playing it anymore making it redundant. Achievement wise the game does little to encourage further play, except to get you to complete it with all heroes. (2 out of 5)

Online

Deader than the proverbial Dodo  but a nice idea nonetheless (2 out of 5)

Graphics

One of the benefits of the next HD generation of games is that even the poorest programmers can make their games look half decent. That is true here as Fusion looks pretty ugly, but is perfectly functional. I felt that the character models where far too basic and the levels themselves had little to look at. This game came out near the launch of the 360 and you can tell  in todays standards its sub par. (2 out of 5)

Level Design

With a game that contains over 30 mini-games acting as the different levels its a shame that so many of them feel the same. In reality there are probably 6 or 7 different types of level that are repeated on each planet under their theme e.g. dodge the fireballs, becomes, dodge the ice balls. There was plenty more ingenuity that could have gone into this game. (2 out of 5)

Sound

Another area that the game suffers in is music and sound. The most annoying element of all is the sound of the quiz masters voice. Its a very cheesy American voice that does not sound natural at all. You can tell when one voice file stops and another begins  there is no flow. The asides that the characters themselves make when they are victorious or are hurt are a little better with each person sounding different. However, any good that is done here is destroyed by the choice to use Euro Dance Synth music throughout  awful. (1 out of 5)

Summary

Fusion Frenzy 2 does a spirited job in trying to capture the party market but fails due to its poor quality and lack of decent mini games. The best party games are simple and fun to play. Fusion is sometimes not that easy and a good few of the games are samey and a bit dull. I also felt that the space setting was too dry and lacked the atmosphere that a child would want from a game. Saying this, if you managed to get 3 friends around the very fact that you are happily competing will make for some entertainment. However, even though you can buy this game for ten pounds or less I seriously doubt it is worth picking up. (2 out of 5)

Maker: Hudsonsoft RRP £50Amazon uk £17.48Play.com £14.99

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Product Details

It's your turn to appear on the intergalactic TV sensation, Fuzion Frenzy! In Fuzion Frenzy 2, you play for huge prize money and a chance to save your planet. Compete in 40 different mini-games on seven different planets, from sports challenges to thrilling battles, on your way to becoming the ultimate victor.